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Hate Crime
“Hate crime” is any criminal offence where anyone believes the victim has been targeted because of their race/ethnicity, religion/belief, gender/gender identity, disability, age, sexual orientation or any other actual or perceived difference.
“Hate incidents” are incidents that do not constitute a criminal offence but cause alarm, distress or harassment where anyone believes the victim has been targeted because of their race/ethnicity, religion/belief, gender/gender identity, disability, age, sexual orientation or any other actual or perceived difference.
Hate crimes and incidents can also be directed at whole communities. For example, desecration of graveyards, vandalism of places of worship, offensive graffiti in public places, or acts of terrorism.
Commonly listed as anti-social behaviour, we need to be aware that what appears to be low level nuisance may in fact be a pattern that is actually causing real distress to the victim.
Hate crime can take many forms, including:
- Violence - e.g., hitting, punching, pushing, slapping, kicking, beating, assault with weapons, murder.
- Damage to property - e.g., offensive graffiti, desecration of graves or places of worship, vandalism to cars, smashing windows, arson attacks.
- Threats - e.g., offensive letters, abusive messages, groups hanging around to intimidate.
- Verbal abuse - e.g., insults and name calling.
- Malicious communications - e.g., obscene telephone calls/texts, distributing offensive leaflets and posters, threatening letters, hate mail.
- Isolation - e.g., deliberate exclusion, giving ‘the cold shoulder’, spreading rumours or gossiping about someone.
- Humiliation and degradation - e.g., putting excrement through letterboxes, spitting, name calling, abusive gestures, spreading malicious rumours.
- Sexual violence - e.g., rape, sexual assault, sexual intimidation.
- Harassment - e.g., making unfounded, malicious complaints against someone, repeated, low level incidents of verbal abuse, threats or intimidation, dumping rubbish outside homes or through letterboxes, stalking, following the victim, persistent phones calls, emails, post or texts.
How We Can Help
We can visit people in their homes in confidence and discuss the services that we can provide to make them safer in case of fire. We will also refer issues to our other partners in order that they can assist.
For further information contact Paul Speight, Paul Hebborn, or DC Del Gillespie on 0116 2872241 or email info@lfrs.org
